Express & Star

QPR 2 West Brom 3: Five talking points from late win

Albion continued their assault on the automatic promotion spots in the Championship with a late win over QPR at Loftus Road - here are five talking points from the game.

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Jake Livermore of West Bromwich Albion celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-3 with Mason Holgate of West Bromwich Albion. (AMA)

Baggies building up head of steam

Celebrations for the winner were notably emphatic (AMA)

Albion bounced back from defeat to former boss Tony Pulis in emphatic fashion, picking up 10 points from a possible 12 to move within one point of the top two.

Jake Livermore’s late winner was symptomatic of a team with utmost belief in their ability and superiority. It was also a wonderfully-executed team goal, pulled off under pressure.

The Baggies are now looming ominously in the race for the top two, and could be timing their run perfectly.

They’ll be brimming with confidence in these next two crucial games.

January signings beginning to step up

What did we learn from the win at Loftus Road? (AMA)

Losing Harvey Barnes was always going to be a blow that would undoubtedly make an impact, but Jefferson Montero and Jacob Murphy both scored crucial goals in this game.

Murphy, in particular, appears to be improving as each game passes, and his finish was right out of the top drawer.

Mason Holgate also had a huge hand in the late winner and has strengthened the right-hand side.

Stefan Johansen was poor, and gave QPR a goal, but given time and games to settle in, his quality should also shine through.

Gareth Barry’s replacement already at the club

Gareth Barry (AMA)

After Jake Livermore struggled in the pivot role against Nottingham Forest, Moore tweaked his midweek midfield, and put 20-year-old Sam Field in the holding position.

The youngster barely put a foot wrong, and has now emerged as a trustworthy understudy to the influential Barry.

The veteran midfielder is one of Albion’s most important players at the moment, but he turns 38 on Saturday and can’t go on forever.

Field is the club’s future in that position, and is developing into a mature midfielder.

Darren Moore’s in-game management continues to improve

Darren Moore (AMA)

After closing the game out against Villa at the weekend with a minimum of fuss, Moore’s substitutes at Loftus Road also made a difference.

Gareth Barry and Rekeem Harper each had a hand in the final goal, and the former gave Albion control of the final minutes while the latter added dynamism to a flagging midfield.

He’s managed to win six points from two tricky away games in the space of three days without Dwight Gayle. And, now Matt Phillips is back in action, his options are even stronger.

A defining moment of the season?

Jake Livermore of West Bromwich Albion celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-3 with Mason Holgate of West Bromwich Albion. (AMA)

There’s nothing quite like a last-minute winner, but the emotions pouring out of the Albion players when Livermore’s goal hit the back of the net proves how invested this team is in this promotion race and how unified the squad is.

It is the polar opposite to the toxic atmosphere of last season, and exactly the sort of togetherness the Baggies will need in the run-in.

If that feeling can now be translated to The Hawthorns, Darren Moore’s men will be a formidable force.